The ASM General Meeting Minority Travel Grant Program is a five-year initiative to increase the number of underrepresented minorities (URMs) who choose and excel in careers in microbiology and related sciences. The program's overall goal is to achieve this increase by supporting URM postdoctoral fellows and faculty from minority-serving institutions (MSIs) and community colleges (CCs) to attend the ASM General Meeting. Although much of the U.S. scientific and engineering innovations are made by those with advanced education and training, the most recent NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates (conducted in 2008) found that of the U.S. citizens and permanent residents awarded doctorates in 2008, just 23% were URMs; this highlights the need for (i) more diversity in the educational pipeline and (ii) URM students to receive doctorates and succeed in the scientific and engineering workforce. By attending the meeting, grantees benefit from opportunities to present research and interact with the more than 7,000 microbiologists at the meeting. These interactions may result in extensive networking; partnerships to enhance research, curriculum content, and student learning; lasting mentoring relationships; and exposure to new sources of funding and career planning. Grantees also become poised to recruit and empower colleagues and students in microbiology research and education. Specific aims for the program focus on supporting the success of URMs in the microbiology workforce: Aim 1: To provide faculty from MSIs and CCs and postdoctoral fellows from URM groups in the sciences with opportunities to expand their research capabilities by networking and collaborating with established microbiologists. Aim 2: To provide faculty from MSIs and CCs and URM postdoctoral fellows from groups with opportunities to enhance their teaching and mentoring capabilities. Aim 3: To increase the number of ASM members from URM groups in the sciences. Aim 4: To increase the interest of faculty from MSIs and postdoctoral fellows from URM groups in becoming actively involved in ASM. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The ASM General Meeting Minority Travel Grant Program is an initiative to increase the number of underrepresented minorities (URMs) who choose and excel in careers in microbiology and related sciences. Grantees are URM postdoctoral fellows and faculty from minority-serving institutions and community colleges; with support from the program to attend the ASM General Meeting, grantees have opportunities for extensive networking with the more than 6,000 microbiologists at the meeting; partnerships to enhance research, curriculum content, and student learning; lasting mentoring relationships; and exposure to new sources of funding and career planning. Grantees also become poised to recruit and empower colleagues and students in microbiology research and education.